When One Ear Hears Less Than the Other: What It Can Mean and Why It Is Worth Checking

Many people discover a difference between their ears almost by accident. They swap the phone to the other side and suddenly the voice sounds thin and distant. Or they notice they always sit on the same side of the table, or turn one ear towards a speaker without thinking. A slight imbalance between the ears is common and not always significant. Still, a difference you can notice is worth understanding, and worth mentioning to a doctor.

How does a difference between the ears show up?

When one ear hears less, the clues are often practical rather than obvious. People commonly describe:

• always holding the phone to the same ear
• choosing a seat that puts the stronger ear towards the conversation
• finding it hard to tell where a sound, such as a ringing phone, is coming from
• struggling more when someone speaks from the weaker side, for example as a passenger in a car
• noisy places feeling more tiring than they used to

Some people also notice ringing or a feeling of fullness on one side, or a change in how music sounds.

These experiences make sense once you remember that the brain relies on comparing the two ears. When one side delivers a weaker signal, that comparison becomes less reliable, as explained in hearing with two ears.

What can make one ear hear less?

The possible reasons range from the simple to the serious, and only an examination can tell them apart. In broad terms, they fall into a few groups.

Something blocking the way. A plug of wax, fluid behind the eardrum after a cold, or an infection of the ear canal or middle ear can all reduce hearing on one side. These problems sit in the outer or middle ear and often feel like a blocked or muffled ear.

Uneven exposure. Noise does not always reach both ears equally. A loud source that is usually on one side, whether at work or during a hobby, may affect the nearer ear more over time.

Changes in the inner ear or hearing nerve. Sometimes the difference comes from deeper in the ear, where sound is converted into nerve signals or carried to the brain. Some of these causes are harmless, while others need medical investigation. This is the main reason a difference between the ears is taken seriously.

You can read how professionals describe these locations in types of hearing loss.

How is a difference between the ears assessed?

A doctor will usually start by looking into both ears and asking how and when the change began, whether it came on suddenly or gradually, and whether there is ringing, dizziness, pain or discharge. A hearing assessment tests each ear on its own, so differences between them can be measured rather than guessed. The common tests, including those that compare different routes of sound into the ear, are covered in hearing tests explained.

Depending on the findings, the doctor may suggest further investigations. That does not mean something is wrong; it is a careful way of ruling things out when the two sides do not match.

When to see a doctor

Make an appointment with your family doctor or an ENT doctor if you notice that one ear hears less than the other, especially if the difference is new or seems to be growing. It is also important to get checked if the difference comes with ringing or a rushing sound on one side, dizziness or unsteadiness, pain, discharge, or a feeling of pressure that does not go away.

Sudden changes may be easy to dismiss as a blocked ear, but they should not be left to settle on their own. This article is general information and cannot tell you the cause of a difference in your own hearing.

Key takeaways

• A small difference between the ears is common, but a noticeable one deserves a check.
• Signs include always favouring one ear, difficulty locating sounds and more effort in noise.
• Causes range from wax or fluid to changes in the inner ear or nerve that need investigation.
• Each ear is tested separately, so differences can be measured.
• A sudden loss in one ear needs a doctor without delay.